Car-brake hanger



(No Model.)

J. RHOADS.

GAR BRAKE HANGER.

Patented'Deo. 18, 1883.

[Vrh-r ILL e l Ntra STATES ATENT OFFICE,

JOHN RHOADS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-BRAKE HANGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,356, dated December 18, 1883.

Application filed October 25, 1883. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN RHoAns, a citizen of the'United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Gar-Brake Hangers, of which the following is a specification. i

The object of my invention is to so hang the brakebeams to the truck of a railroad-car as to obviate the objections due to the present methods of supporting the beams;V and this object I. attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side view of a railroad-car truck with my improvements; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 3, a transverse section of part ot' the same on the line 1 2, Fig. l, with the hanger in elevation; and Fig. 4, a section, on a larger scale, otone oft-he brake-beam hangers.

A is one of the end frames of the truck,

carrying the axle-boxes c for the wheels B,

and serving as a support for the spring-plank D, the frame being also furnished with verti cal guides b for the bolster F, which supports the car-body, and is mounted at each end upon springs d. Only one end ofthe bolster, springplank, and brake-beam, and one brake-beam hanger are shown in the drawings, as the construction of the opposite ends ot' these parts and ofthe opposite hanger is precisely similar. The brake-beams G are usually hung by links from the yielding` bolster F-a plan which is objectionable, because when a car is heavily loaded and the bolster depressed to an undue extent, the brake-beams are liable to strike the ties or trail on the ballast between the rails, and thus become broken or otherwise injure the braking mechanism. Attempts have been made to overcome this objection by hanging the brakebeams to iiXed brackets on the spring-plank D; but this plan has failed to supersede the old one, for the reason, mainly that it provides too rigid a' support i'or the beams, a certain amount of play being advisable in order to prevent jamming ofthe brakelevers and connections, and to permit the proper adaptation of the brake-shoes to the wheels underall circumstances. I overcome the objections to both of the plans described by hanging the brake-beams to frames J, which are independent of the bolster F, and are also capable of vertical movement independently of the spring-plank, so as to accommodate themselves to the different requirements of the braking devices. Each hanger-frameJ is in the present instance of n form, the opposite bars ff-of the frame bearing upon the opposite sides of the spring-plank, upon the top of which rests a plate, g, and between the latter and the top bar, t', of the frame J are interposed coiled springs m m. The brakebeams G and their connections may be of the usual character, and the brake-shoes are suspended by means of links It from lug-sj on the hanger-frame, so that in the event ot' a downward pull upon either link the frame can yield under control ofthe springs m, the frame being also free to yield under the infiuence of an upward thrust upon the link. In order to prevent au undue rise of the frame J, however, a bolt, p, is passed transversely through the spring-plank and through slots s in the opposite bars f of the frame, the said slots also serving to receive lugs t on the ends of the plate g, and thus maintain the latter in line vwith the frame. The expansion of the springs m is limited by bolts n, the opposite heads of which are adapted, respectively, to recesses in the plate g and in the top bar, i, of the frame J, so that said plate and bar are always maintained at the proper distance apart, and the proper setting of the frame in respect to the spring-plank isl insuredthat is to say, the lugs j, to which the suspendinglinks h are hung, are always at a uniform distance from the top of the springplank.

I have shown coiled springs m as the means for supporting the hanger-frames J; but elliptic, rubber, or other springs may be substituted for the coiled springs, if desired.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of the brake-beams of a railroad-car and the springplank D with hanger-frames J, carried by said spring-plank, but supported upon springs m, and capable 'ot' yielding vertically under control of said springs, as set forth.

2. The combination of the brake-beams, the springiplank D, having a transverse bolt, p, the hanger-frame J, having opposite bars f, with slots s, and the supporting-springs m, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' JOHN RHOADS.

Witnesses:

JOHN M. CLAYTON, HARRY SMITH.

IOO 

